Participants of the 12th annual traditio

Participants of the 12th annual traditional Croatian wooden lateen sail boats regatta also named �gajetas�, sail past the Croatian central Adriatic island of Murter, some 300 kilometers from the capital Zagreb, on September 28, 2009. The building of the �gajeta� wooden ships is a traditional activity on the island of Murter. Most of the shipbuilding is concentrated in Murter and the nearby village of Betina where many shipyards are family owned. Shipbuilding has been a tradition there for almost 250 years through various forms of organized manufacture. The Gajeta, originally a fishing vessel with a lateen sail, has had various tasks thoughout history: transportation of agricultural products or cattle to the market in nearby towns like Zadar or Sibenik, transportation of stones, peasants or animals (donkeys) for field work as well as coastal fishing. Presented at the 1998 Lisbon World Exposition, it was reconstructed as part of a UNESCO project; "Evolution of Wooden Shipbuilding in the Eastern Mediterranean During the 18th and 19th Centuries". As a part of the regeneration of traditional professional schools for wooden shipbuilding, a regatta of this type of lateen sail boats is organized every year at the end of September. This year some 74 boats with lateen sails participated. AFP PHOTO/ HRVOJE POLAN (Photo credit should read HRVOJE POLAN/AFP via Getty Images)